Cancel culture was in full effect Friday night.
Jackson Cancel ’26 made all the right reads, spinning off would-be tacklers, and accelerating for one of the finest evenings any Christ School back has had in some time.
The final numbers – 20 carries for 328 yards and five touchdowns, just one shy of the school record for single-game rushing TDs. The school record for single-game rushing yardage (337) also likely would have gone down had the junior from Asheville not been rested for much of the second half.
Jackson, whose last name is actually pronounced like (can-sell), and the Greenies really never gave Charlotte Latin a chance, leading wire-to-wire for a 58-28 home win in the first round of the NCISAA Division I state playoffs.
Jackson’s scoring runs covered 50, 43, 21, 12, and 5 yards. The shortest one gave Christ School (3-4) a lead it would never relinquish at the 1:21 mark of the first quarter.
Mason Holtzclaw ‘27 was splendid as well, passing for 182 yards and a pair of touchdowns (85 yards and 35 yards) to Cooper Kirby ‘26. Fellow junior Spencer Thompson ’26 made seven extra points and a 33-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.
Sky Liu ’26 finished everything off with a 6-yard touchdown run with just 1:06 to play.
Jordan Edgecomb ’25 led the defense with nine tackles (six solo), followed by Will Walker ’25 and Cash Freeman ’27 with five each, while Cooper and Jordan Dalton ’26 managed four tackles apiece.
The fourth-seeded Greenies advance to play at No. 1 Rabun Gap (9-2) next Friday at 7 p.m. The Eagles won the regular-season game between the two teams, 61-6, back on Aug. 30 in Arden.